Too Close
by Isabelle T
Summary: When a case hits close to home, the team must solve the case quickly to prevent their friends and loved ones from being hurt. Will they solve the case in time or will they be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfic. Please read and review! Enjoy!**

**The Basement**

A single bulb dangles from the ceiling, its dim glow casting shadows on the wall and on the faces of three people.

A struggling man is tied to a chair, trying in vain to escape. His wrists are rubbed raw from the ropes holding him down, his breath is gone, and his head pounds from the punch delivered to him when he had tried to resist his attacker.

His wife is past trying, so she sits still with her eyes closed, praying that someone will find and save them.

Their five year old son is bound to another chair; his wide eyes and quick breathing indicate that he is scared. No, more like terrified. Terrified that he may never see the light of day again. Terrified of what will become of his parents. But most of all, terrified of his attacker, who surely plans to return.

Seconds later or maybe it is minutes, a door opens somewhere above them. A shred of light shines down on the stairs, but it disappears as the door is closed. They cringe as they hear the heavy footsteps coming closer. The dad stops fighting and narrows his eyes, making out a dark figure stopped at the bottom of the stairwell, holding something blunt in his hands.

"What do you want?" The dad calls out, watching the person's every move.

"I just want answers." The voice drawls.

The dad bites his lip before replying, "I'll give you anything that you want. Please just let my family go."

"But you see, I can't do that."

"Why not?" The dad cries out.

"Because you're not the one that's keeping secrets."

In the limited light, the dad thinks he sees the eyes of their abductor flit over to his wife. _But she doesn't keep secrets. _The man thinks to himself.

"I don't have any secrets." His wife says, shaking her head.

"We'll see about that." The person moves the object that they are holding into the light.

The glint of a sharp blade makes the dad start pulling against the ropes again, as the kidnapper steps toward their son.

"Leave him out of this!" He yells, attempting to stand up and rush toward him.

A laugh rings out and before they know it, their son is being dragged out at knife point.

…..

**Hotchner's Apartment**

_Ring. Ring. Ring. _

"Hello." Hotchner mumbles into the phone, sitting up in bed.

"Hotch. We have a case. We need to get started immediately." JJ informs him.

Hotch groans, quiet enough that JJ can't hear. After landing 6 hours ago from a tedious case in Detroit, all he wants is some well-deserved rest, however, instead of voicing his opinion he responds, "I'll be right in. Contact the rest of the team, will you?"

"Of course," JJ replies.

They hang up and Hotchner throws a clean pair of black pants and a button down shirt on. He grabs his badge and gun from his bedside table, putting them in his pocket.

He grabs his coat and heads out the door, forgetting momentarily about the pot of coffee he surely needed to get through the day.

He enters the bureau and starts towards his office, when a hand locks onto Hotchner's wrist. Hotch whips around, coming face to face with his section chief, Mateo Cruz.

"May I speak to you?"

Hotch follows Cruz to his office, "What is it?"

"This is about your next case. It's local. Your team will be working side by side with the Metropolitan P.D. I expect this case to be closed quickly. Try not to get too personally involved. If it happens, I will have to remove your team from the case."

Hotchner regards him with caution, but nods his approval and strides out of his office. JJ is waiting at the door to his office, but she is not alone.

"It's nice to see you again," Aaron shakes William LaMontagne's hand.

"You too. Too bad this encounter comes at a price. 4 victims so far." William hands Hotchner the case file.

Hotchner opens the case file. Half a dozen pictures of families smile up at him, along with the medical forms from their deaths.

"We have a case." JJ repeats.

Hotchner nods solemnly, "Round everyone up in the conference room, JJ. William, can I speak to you?"

"Yeah sure," Will and Hotch walk into his office.

JJ smiles, encouragingly, before turning and walking off to find the team.

"Will. Are you going to be okay? Working this case, I mean?" Hotch looks seriously at him.

"Of course. What makes you think otherwise?"

"I just don't want you making a stupid mistake because you're trying to protect JJ. I need to know that I can trust you to make good judgmental calls and keep your head, even if JJ is hurt or in trouble."

William nods in response, avoiding eye contact.

"I know that marriage changes things. And things can get out of hand if-" Hotchner stops and tries to push the thoughts of Haley away.

"If someone you love is in trouble." He finishes after a long, silent pause.

"I know that. And I respect your opinion, but JJ is capable of taking care of herself. She doesn't need me to protect her. That's what her gun is for."

Hotch smiles in spite of himself and hands the file back to Will, "I want you to present this case to the team. After all, it is your case."

Hotch leads the way out of his office and closes the door behind William. He pours himself a cup of freshly brewed coffee and enters the conference room.

His team is waiting patiently in the room, most with bloodshot eyes from the lack of sleep obtained recently.

"You all remember Will, right?" JJ gestures to the man standing in the back.

Everyone nods and a few shake his hand as Will awkwardly shuffles to the front of the room, where Garcia hands him the clicker. With a click of the remote, several photos pop up.

"The first victims were 18 year olds Marianne Taplin and Roy Kelly. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Parents say they had been going out for almost a year before this." Another click brings up the postmortem pictures. Their faces are swollen and badly bruised; the rest of their bodies don't look any better.

JJ and Prentiss turn away from the horrid sight, pushing away the thought of what the family members have gone through and how many more will suffer if they don't solve this case quickly.

"They were about to start college. Parents say they were great kids. They were found in Marianne's apartment, beaten to death. Their parents reported them missing two days before their bodies were found."

"Last week, Kristy Reynolds and her 7 year old son, Blake, were murdered. Kristy ran a daycare center from her home. Parents showed up to drop off their kids, but Kristy wasn't home. They were kept somewhere for three days before they were found dead in their home. Same as the last two. However, the son wasn't touched; he had one bullet wound through the chest. The mother was beaten rather badly, though."

"What about the dad?" Morgan asks.

"He died of cancer three years ago. Yesterday, a family was reported missing. Rachel Evinns, her husband Sean and their son Zack. Sean returned home from the Marine Corps a week ago. Rachel was a single parent while he was away; she works full time at a hospital. They were supposed to show up for a barbeque yesterday. The host called them multiple times; no answer, so he went to their house. They weren't there. That was when he filed the report."

"Anything to connect these cases?"

"Nothing substantial yet. Oh, I almost forgot." Will frantically opens one of the case files and holds something up for everyone to see, "These were found on all four bodies."

Everyone glances down at the paper Will is holding. They are photocopies of letters; the top two are from the mom and her son. One of the letters has one line, the other one is longer. The shorter of the two letters is written sloppily, the kid's handwriting. The other letter was written by the mother; the letters slant downward, as if written with a shaky hand.

"Mommy, this isn't your fault. I just hope that I get to see dad when I die. Goodbye," Morgan reads aloud.

"I just want you to know that soon I'll be in better hands. Natalie, take care of mom and dad for me. Tell them that I love them and that I'll miss them." JJ stutters.

"Wait, look here. Something is whited out." Rossi points to the lines between the closure and the body paragraph.

"We already tried to find out what was written below, but we've had no luck." Will sighs.

"Maybe it was a clue about our unsub. That would explain why it's crossed out. I think the unsub makes them write these letters. It makes him feel like he's in control." Reid points out, moving his hands around in the air.

"Could our unsub be a female?" Prentiss adds.

"Possibly, however women typically don't have this much rage built up. They wouldn't physically beat their victims."

"Reid's right. It's uncommon for a woman to do this, but not unheard of." Rossi explains.

"Let's get to it." Hotch starts, "JJ and Morgan, talk to the family of the most recent murder. Reid, work on the geographical profile and these letters. Prentiss, talk to the first families. Rossi and I will talk to the family of the latest abductees."

"What do you want me to do?" Will speaks up.

"Round up your men. Stake out the Evinn's house. Look for any clues as to where the unsub might have taken them. Any signs of a struggle. Anything that can help us. If this unsub follows pattern, he'll want to dump their bodies at their house. I don't want the street lined with cop cars, only unmarked cars. If he feels even in the slightest that we're watching him, he'll dump the bodies elsewhere. I want to know about any and all cars that drive up the street, even if they don't seem suspicious. Okay?"

"Sure thing." Will answers.

….

"Dad, please help me." The boy pulls against his restraints, tears streaking down his cheeks.

The dad tries to remain calm, "Don't worry. I'm going to get us out of this, I promise."

"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep." Someone says from above.

"Please, let us go. I'll tell you anything that you want to know. Please." The mom begs, talking for the first time.

"Where do you go every day?" The person moves down the stairs.

"I go to work." She utters, bewildered.

"Where does poor little Zack go when you're at work?"

"He goes to his babysitter's house. What does it matter?" The mom yanks her hand away from the armrest of the chair.

"How does that make you feel, Zack?" Their abductor addresses the boy cowering in the corner.

He shakes his head, staring intently at the ground.

"Huh?" The voice rings out again.

"I don't like her." Zack whispers.

"Why didn't you just tell us? Is that what this is about, where my son goes while I'm at work?" The mom jolts forward, teeth bared.

"What do you do when your shift finishes at 6?"

"What are you talking about?" The mom acts like she doesn't know what's happening.

"Your shift ends at 6, but you don't pick Zack up until 8. What do you do after work?" The voice repeats the question.

"Fine. I go out for a couple of drinks sometimes. It's no big deal." The mom looks down at the ground, ashamed.

"Honey…" Her husband mutters.

"And you…you're a pathetic excuse for a dad." The person steps out of the shadow, thrusting his bat into the dad's stomach.

The wind is knocked out of his lungs. He gasps for air, like a fish out of water. "Please. Please. Please." He wheezes in between blows.

The wife sobs, kicking her feet on the ground, attempting to reach her husband.

"Please stop." A small voice pipes up. It's Zack.

The dad cringes, waiting for the next blow, but it doesn't come. He feels the attacker leave and watches him creep closer to his son.

"Why?" A smirk climbs its way onto their attacker's face.

"Because I love him." Zack meets the person's eyes.

"Even after what I told you about him?"

Zack nods.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's another chapter! Read and review! All reviews are helpful.**

**Taplin Household**

"Mrs. Taplin. I know this must be hard for you, but anything you tell us can help us find the guy who did this." Prentiss says softly.

"Marianne was a good girl. She didn't do drugs or go to wild parties. She was always home on time. She was going to go to college." Mrs. Taplin sniffles and blows her nose into the bundled up Kleenex in her hand.

"What about her boyfriend, Roy?"

"He was a fine young gentleman. He held the door for her, pushed in her chair, brought her flowers and chocolates. He was an ideal boyfriend."

"Did you know his parents?"

"Of course. We met a couple of times. They were nice too." Marianne's mom picks up a picture of her from the coffee table, "Why did this happen to my baby?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to figure it out." Prentiss pats her hand. "May I take a look at Marianne's room?"

"The police already have. They said they had what they needed." Her breathing quickens and her voice becomes shrilly.

"It's okay. I'm not going to take anything. I need to look for anything that will give me a clue as to why she was targeted."

"You think my baby girl was a target?" The mom is on the verge of sobbing.

"It's a possibility." Prentiss states simply, avoiding eye contact.

She stands up shakily and walks down the hallway, coming to a stop by the door on the right.

"Thank you." Prentiss turns the door handle.

The walls of the room are bare, painted a light blue that matches the comforter on Marianne's bed. A tall bookcase sits in the corner, packed with books. One of the shelves is jam-packed with just picture frames. Pictures of Marianne and what looks to be her dad fill every frame. The bed is made and the room is tidy.

Prentiss glances over her shoulder, checking to see if Marianne's mom is still watching. She's not so she slides open the drawer of the bedside table. A pink diary is in the far right corner with an assortment of gel pens and pencils surrounding it. Prentiss fingers it open.

Her eyes scan the paper, but she can't read the words; everything is coded. Prentiss shuffles through the rest of Marianne's belongings, but nothing else pops out at her. Hearing someone blowing their nose, she enters the living room.

"Mrs. Taplin. Do you think I could borrow this?" Prentiss sits on the couch next to her.

"Marianne's diary?"

"I think there might be something hidden in here that can give us a clue as to why she was-" She stops short, not wanting to say _murdered_.

"Go ahead." She blows her nose again.  
"Just one more question. What happened to Marianne's dad?"

Marianne's mom swallows hard before answering, "He was killed by a drunk driver when Marianne was 13."

"Were they close?"

She nods, her sobs wracking her body.

Prentiss pulls her into a hug and holds her while she lets everything out. When Marianne's mom is under control again, Prentiss apologizes and thanks her for her help before heading back to the BAU.

….

**Reynolds Home**

"I'm JJ. I'm with the FBI. This is Special Agent Morgan. We would like to ask you some questions, if that's alright." JJ starts, but they don't reply. "Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds. I'm so sorry about your daughter and grandson." JJ holds onto Mrs. Reynolds hand.

Mr. Reynolds hangs onto her other hand. Neither respond, they just stare at the air ahead of them. Mrs. Reynolds eyes are glassy and unmoving.

"We're going to find who did this, but I need your help." Morgan tries.

She snaps out of her daze, her voice dry, "What do you need to know?"

"Is there anyone who would have wanted to hurt them? Any enemies?"

Mrs. Reynolds shakes her head, tears flooding her eyes, "No. Everyone liked them and they liked everyone."

"Did Kristy turn anyone away from her daycare center?"

"No, like my wife said, she was very friendly. She babysat for anyone who asked. And Blake, he did nothing wrong. He was just a baby." Mr. Reynolds explains. A few tears spill over and down Mrs. Reynolds cheeks and she wipes them away with haste.

JJ hands her the box of Kleenex, "You're sure?"

"Positive." Mr. Reynolds assures JJ.

"Did Kristy, by chance, have a list of the families she watched?" Morgan asks.

"No…" Mrs. Reynolds squints her eyes, deep in thought, "Yes. Yes, she had a list of emergency contacts. In case someone got hurt or something."

"That's very good. Where is the list?" JJ coaxes.

"She always kept it on her fridge for easy access. You think that one of her clients did this to them?"

"I don't but we have to check all possibilities. I'll be right back, if that's okay." JJ walks out the door after a consenting nod from the dad.

Morgan stays with the parents, comforting to the best of his ability.

JJ dials Will's number, "Will, was there a list of names and numbers on the fridge at Kristy Reynolds's house?"

"I don't think so, but I can have someone check it out."

"Okay. You do that. Bye." Will hasn't even responded when JJ hangs up.

….

**Metropolitan Police Station**

_She just hung up on me. _Will thinks to himself, bewildered.

"Will. We're ready to stake out the house. Are you coming?" A fellow officer asks him, bringing him back into the real world.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

Will and four other cops leave the station and head over to the vacated house. They use a key they received from the parents to enter the house. Before settling down, the team clears the house.

"The place is still empty." Someone informs Will.

"That's good. That means there is still a chance we can find them alive." He looks off into the distance. "Everyone stays inside. Watch from the windows, but don't be seen. I want this place locked down. Anyone tries to enter, take them down. We need this guy alive."

His team gives him an understanding nod.

"I'm going back to the station. Call me if anything happens. Shift change at one." Will drives off in an unmarked car.

….

**Conference Room of the BAU**

Reid asks for a map of the community and some sticky tabs. He sticks the markers at the homes of all three victims; two live on the same side of town and one doesn't. Reid draws a red circle encompassing the markers of the homes of the victims.

He reads over the four letters again and again, unable to decipher anything. Just when Reid is about to give up and leave the station, Prentiss shows up.

"Hey, Spencer. I have a journal here; it's all written in code. Do you think you could figure it out?" She hands him the pink book.

"Yeah I think so. I'm going to need some time, though."

"That's something we don't have a lot of." Prentiss mutters before leaving Spencer alone with the book.

Spencer's eyes skim the letters while his hand writes them on the board. When he finishes the first page, he looks up at the board and begins to decode the puzzle.

….

**Home of the Evinns Parents**

"Hi. I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner and this is Agent David Rossi. We're with the Behavior Analysis Unit of the FBI. We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions about your daughter, son-in-law, and grandson." Hotchner shakes Rachel Evinns dad's hand.

"Sure. Anything that will help you find our baby girl." He latches onto his wife's hand, holding it so tightly that his knuckles turn white.

"Did Rachel and Sean have a good marriage?" Rossi raises his eyebrows.

"What does that have to do with anything?" The wife looks up at Rossi accusingly.

"It has everything to do with their abduction." Hotch buts in. "We need to get to know the vict-them better so we know why he's choosing the people that he chooses."

The dad gives Hotch a confused glance.

"Let's say for example that the killer is killing people who have a bad marriage; then we can assume that he himself was in a failed marriage at one point. That helps us narrow down our suspect pool, making it easier to find the killer." Hotch clarifies in depth.

"We need to find a connection between the victims. So, did they have a good marriage?" Rossi asks again.

"Yes. They loved each other. Even when Sean was across seas, Rachel would send him letters every day, telling him how much Zack had grown. Sure they had their fights, but what couple doesn't." Rachel's mom looks away from Rossi and Hotchner.

"What were their fights normally about?" Aaron pushes for more information.

"I can't do this." The dad leaves the room.

"Mrs. Evinns?"

She looks longingly after her husband, but stays put, "They were normally when Sean was on leave. Rachel wanted him to come home. She wanted Zack to grow up with his father by his side, and I don't blame her. She wanted them to be a family again. A real one. Not one where she only saw him on leave and could only talk to him through her letters. He finally agreed a few months ago that it would be best for him to come home. He came home last week and now this happens." Mrs. Evinns buries her face in her hands.

"You and Sean were close?"

"Of course. He was like a son to me. Please find them."

"One more question." Hotch pauses. "Was Zack upset that his father was gone all the time?"

She bites her lip, "No. He never showed it, at least."

"Rachel would drop Zack off at his babysitter's house every day, right?" Rossi clarifies.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you watch Zack when Rachel was at work? I mean he is your grandson."

"I used to babysit him, but one time, things got out of hand. I was chasing him around the house. He fell down a flight of stairs and broke his leg. Rachel still blames me. She said that he could have been paralyzed and it would have been my fault. Sean was always the reasonable one. The only time I got to see my daughter or my grandson was when he was home." Rachel's mom wipes the tears pouring continuously down her face.

"I'm sorry. We're trying our best to find them. As soon as we find out anything, we'll let you know." Hotch promises.

Mr. Evinns stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a bottle of water clenched in his fist, "Find them."

"We will." Rossi nods, acknowledging the dad.

….

**Behavioral Analysis Unit**

Everyone meets up with Reid in the conference room. His hand flies wildly over the board, trying to connect the letters into words.

"How's it going Reid?" Hotchner can feel a headache coming just looking at the jumble of letters on the board. He seriously wonders how Reid can look at it, much less figure it out.

Reid finishes a page and sets the journal down, turning to face Hotch, "I'm getting there. This girl was highly intelligent and secretive. There's something she didn't want anyone to find out about."

"Keep working on it." Hotchner orders, turning away from the board and sitting down at the round table with the rest of the team.

"What do we know about this unsub?" Rossi starts off the conversation.

"A sadist. He gets off on the physical beating of the victims." Morgan states.

"He felt remorse for the child. He didn't beat him." JJ speaks up.

"He probably sympathized with him. Felt some sort of connection." Rossi says, looking down at the picture of Blake.

"He probably stalks his victims and plans out their abduction." Reid looks back over his shoulder.

"What makes you say that?"

"He doesn't leave any clues behind. He knew that Sean was back from oversees. He knew their daily routine and when they would be home, which makes him highly intelligent and dangerous. I believe that he stalks them for at least four days prior to kidnapping them."

"That would mean that if the Evinns are dead, we have four more days to find this guy, before he kills again." JJ casts a glance around the circle.

"I don't think we even have that long." Spencer rotates to face the team. "I figured the code out, but I still have to translate-" Reid stops midsentence and his eyes get big.

"What, Spencer?" Hotchner asks in a concerned voice.

"Where is her letter?" Reid rushes forward, grabbing the paper out of Will's hand. "She wrote her letter in code too. Maybe she told us something about our unsub."

"Good work, Reid."

The corners of Reid's mouth twitch upward into a smile that fades quickly, "I don't think we have four days. The time between abductions is lessening. 5 days between the first two abductions. 4 days between the second and third abductions. I think we have 3 days at best, Hotch."

"We should all go home and get some rest. We'll come in tomorrow with fresh eyes." Hotchner insists, practically having to push the team out of the conference room. "Will. Have your men ready tomorrow. We'll be ready to give the profile then."

5


	3. Chapter 3

**Next chapter! **

**The Basement**

She hears the footsteps upstairs and knows that he's about to come back down. She whimpers when the door upstairs creaks open.

Her husband is unconscious from all the beating he has took. Zack is unusually quiet, shivering in his corner.

The man ambles over to her, stopping a few feet ahead of her with a huge, an excited grin plastered on his face.

"You don't have to do this." Rachel pleads for the umpteenth time.

"Yes. I do. You deserve it. Tell me you deserve it." The voice forces its way into her ears.

A slight shake of the head from Rachel and the guy smacks her across the face. She barely reacts, setting the man off again, this time he hits her in the gut with the bat.

Rachel coughs up blood, the blood coating her lips and dribbling down her chin. She looks up with stone in her eyes and her lips a tight line.

"You don't want to admit that you deserve it…then it must be your son's turn." The man drags Zack's chair across the room in front of Rachel.

"Mommy." Zack yelps, tears streaming down his face.

"No." She sputters, yanking on her bonds again. "Leave him alone!"

"Then tell me you deserve it."

"I deserve it." Rachel cries.

….

** BAU Conference Room**

"Reid. I thought I told everyone to go home and get sleep. That includes you." Hotchner finds Reid still working on the board.

"I'm okay, Hotch."

"You need to sleep, Reid." Hotchner presses.

"No. What I _need_ to do is figure out what Marianne was hiding. It might be the clue to catching this guy before he kills again."

"Reid." He repeats his name, the authority plain in his voice.

"Hotch. This case is different. How would I feel if the answer is in this letter, and I went home like you said, and then one of us showed up dead. It would be my fault Hotch." Reid lets the idea sink in, "I'm staying."

Hotch sighs, defeated, "At least promise me you'll get some sleep when you finish."

Reid presses his lips together, slightly smiling and continues working. He hears Hotchner leave the room.

Reid watches the board, plugging letters in where they are due. He starts with the letter, as that could be an important clue. At first Reid is confused by the words written in her code and he thinks he messed up somehow, but the further down he translates, the more it makes sense. Reid is awake the whole night, decoding the pink journal. By the time dawn arrives and the sun shows its face from behind the buildings, Reid has found her secret, buried in the depths of her diary.

….

** LaMontagne's House**

_ Beep. Beep. Beep._

Will smacks the top of his alarm, groaning as it continues to beep.

_ Beep. Beep. Beep._

Pounding on it with his fist doesn't help.

_ Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Honey. What's going on?" JJ yawns, sliding the button to off for him.

"I got to go." He yawns in response.

"Where?" JJ lays back down on her side, facing Will.

Will closes his eyes, relishing in the dark for a few more minutes, "Shift change at the Evinns's house."

"Do you have to go?" JJ whispers, pulling him closer to her, fingering his bare chest.

"I wish I didn't."

"I'll come with you." JJ says, pulling the covers off both of them.

Shaking his head, Will replies, "You have to stay with Henry."

"Fine. I guess you can go." JJ pouts, looking up at the ceiling.

"Thanks for the permission. I was so worried you wouldn't allow me to leave." Will leans in close and kisses her lips softly. He pulls away and looks down into her eyes, "I love you."

JJ smiles up at him, "I love you too. You'll be okay, right?"

"Of course. I'll see you at the bureau at the end of my shift."

"Ok." JJ wraps her arms around Will and reaches up to kiss him again.

Will dresses quickly in some plain clothes, gun in its holster around his waist, covered by his button down shirt. Meanwhile, JJ rolls over in bed, trying to find sleep again.

After starting the car, Will drives to the Evinn's house. He switches the headlights off when he turns down the street. He parks further down than the other cars, not wanting to draw attention to all the cars parked in front of one house.

He sneaks down the sidewalk, watching the street with careful eyes. Will opens the door and comes face to face with a gun.

"Will!" An officer shouts.

"Sh." Will gestures for them to continue into the house.

"Will. You scared me." He lowers his voice, closing the door tightly behind Will.

William waits until they are standing in the kitchen to speak, "How's everything going?"

"There's been no sight of this guy. A few cars have driven down the street, but the registered owners of the cars live here."

"Great." Will claps his officer on the back, "Go home and get some rest. You look like you need it."

"Oh and make sure you're back at the station by 8. The BAU are going to give their profile." Will adds.

"Sure thing." The officer responds, before walking out the front door.

Will wanders around the house, seeking out every officer to make sure they're okay and haven't spotted anything.

He's standing by the front window looking out at the street when he hears something. He whispers to the closest officer, "Did you hear that?"

The officer shakes his head while Will draws his gun. They follow the hallway into the kitchen and that's when they see, through the back window, the dark figure sprinting away.

"Stop!" Will shouts, racing after the man.

The man jumps over the fence just as Will is halfway across the yard. He yells again, "Stop!"

The man doesn't even glance back, he just keeps running. Will hops over the fence into the neighbor's yard in time to see a black car speed down the road.

"Dammit." He curses under his breath before rejoining his partner.

His partner had stopped and crouched down next to the bodies of the Evinns family when Will had attempted to chase the suspect.

Will runs his fingers through his hair angrily. He says to no one in particular, "I can't believe this just happened."

After a moment of silence Will tells his officer, "You can send everyone home. There's nothing left to do here."

Quickly, his officer takes off to inform the rest of the officers.

Calling the first person that comes to mind, he says, "JJ."

"What's wrong, Will?" JJ asks in a worrisome voice.

"We just let the unsub get away. He dumped the bodies in the backyard and took off in a black car."

JJ sighs deeply, "I'll call the team and let them know."

"Don't do that yet. Let them have some sleep, you can tell them in the morning."

"Okay. Are you okay, Will?" JJ wonders.

"Yeah. Fine." He replies before pressing the end call button and snapping his phone shut.

….

** LaMontagne's House**

"Hey Hotch, it's JJ. Meet me at the Evinns's house in twenty minutes."

"Okay. I will see you then."

JJ creeps down the hallway and turns the knob of Henry's door quietly. He's lying down, curled up in a ball, fast asleep.

JJ stoops down so she's at his eye level. Placing her hand on his shoulder she gives him a gentle shake, "Henry. It's time to get up."

His eyelids pry themselves apart and his big, brown eyes blink up at JJ. He tilts his head up and opens his mouth, yawning.

"It's time to go, Henry."

"Go where." His small voice pipes up.

"To Kara's. She's going to watch you while Daddy and I are at work." JJ smiles down at him.

"Okay." Henry's gaze drops to the floor.

"Hey. I'll see you tonight, okay."

He doesn't respond. JJ tilts his chin up, "I promise. We won't be gone for long. Then we'll be home with you." JJ tickles his tummy causing him to burst out in a fit of giggles.

"Okay." He says, hitting her hands away.

"Let's go." JJ pulls him out of bed, crushing him in a hug.

She sets him down and he gets dressed while JJ whips up some eggs and toast for Henry. They eat quickly and JJ drops him off at Kara's house.

"Will or I will stop by after work to pick him up." JJ informs her.

"Yeah, no problem."

JJ drives to the Evinns's house, surprised that Hotchner is already present, "You're early, Hotch."

"You sound surprised."

JJ rolls her eyes before leading Hotch under the yellow caution tape and into the backyard, where Will stands waiting.

"What happened here?" Hotch addresses William.

" It was shift change. I thought I heard something, so I went to investigate. I saw him jumping over the fence. He took off in a black car. I couldn't read the license plate. I had him and I let him get away."

"Will…it's not your fault." JJ places her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugs it off and storms away.

JJ watches him leave, biting her lip, "May I-"

Hotch nods his head imperceptibly. She gives him a thankful smile before hurrying after Will. JJ finds Will sitting in the living room, head in his hands.

"It's not your fault." She repeats.

"Yes. It is. I had him, JJ."

"They were dead hours before he dumped them, Will. They didn't die because of you."

"Yeah, but their killer is still on the loose because of me." Will glares at the ground, teeth clenched.

JJ cautiously sits next to him and whispers something in his ear. Will meets her gaze with a confused look and gives a slight nod. She pats his hand and rejoins Hotch and the rest of the team.

"What do we have?" JJ asks as she steps onto the back porch.

"Same as the others. Overkill on the dad. Nothing done to the child except the bullet wound." Hotchner notifies her.

"Letters?" JJ looks around the bodies, but sees none.

"They're inside in evidence bags. We're checking for prints, but we doubt that there will be any."

"Ligature marks on the wrists. It looks like they were restrained and the dad put up one hell of a fight." Morgan tilts his hand around before setting Sean's hand back on the grass.

"This guy was a Marine, right?" Rossi clarifies.

"Yeah. Why? What are you thinking, Rossi?" Hotch takes a step closer to him.

"This guy was trained and a fighter, by the looks of it. Why wouldn't he fight back?" Rossi asks aloud, watching the rest of his team.

"His kid." Reid tears his eyes from the corpse of the child. "If his kid was threatened, he'd do whatever the unsub wanted."

"Okay. Let's say that he did that with both the second and third victims, how'd he get Marianne and Roy to comply." Prentiss brings up a good point.

The team stays silent, everyone trying to come up with a valid reason. The ringing of JJ's phone breaks the silence and she scurries away to answer it.

"Threaten Roy. Hold a gun to her head and tell him that if he doesn't listen, boom, she's dead." Morgan shrugs his shoulders.

Will rejoins them outside and Hotch asks, "Does the family know yet?"

He shakes his head, "I didn't know how to break the news to them."

"Prentiss. Rossi. You're with me. The rest of you-"

"Hotch, we have a problem. The press is out front, they're talking about how the Evinns were murdered last night."

"Well we better hurry then, before their parents find out from the press." Hotchner walks briskly toward the black SUV parked in the front of the house.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Get Garcia to help you narrow down the list using the profile. We'll deliver it when we're done at the Evinns house." Hotch yanks open the door.

"Hotch. I almost forgot to tell you about what I found out last night from her diary." Spencer jabbers.

"Can it wait, Reid?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't you take someone with you and go talk to her mom about whatever you found." Hotch switches the car into drive.

"Okay, I'll do that." Spencer nods before hopping back onto the sidewalk.


	4. Chapter 4

**Taplin's House**

Reid and JJ stop in the Taplin's driveway behind the blue car that belongs to Mrs. Taplin. JJ knocks gently on the door and watches through the glass window as a women saunters up to the door. They can hear the click of locks being undone.

JJ flips open her badge and holds it up for the woman to see after she opens the door a crack, "Hi, I'm FBI agent Jennifer Jareau, and this is Dr. Spencer Reid." He pulls his hand out of his pocket, giving a small wave and half smile.

Mrs. Taplin peers out through the small opening. Reid and JJ can hear her shaky breaths and notice her lack of eye contact. The one time they see her eyes, red and puffy; they immediately can tell that she has been crying.

She cries no more, however; instead she spits her words out, "What's wrong with you people? You think you can just barge in here whenever you feel like it?"

"We're sorry, Mrs. Taplin, but we wouldn't be here if it wasn't important." JJ tries to reason with her.

"What are you talking about?"

"May we come in?" JJ asks.

Mrs. Taplin's face remains stony, as if waiting for an explanation for their visit right then and there.

JJ adds in a final attempt, "We're only trying to help."

Reid's foot gets caught in the door as she tries to shut them out, "Mrs. Taplin. I brought this back for you." He pulls the pink diary out of his bag.

She cautiously sticks her hand out as Reid moves it closer to her. The second her fingers touch it, she snatches the journal. Mrs. Taplin has to open the door wider to fit the journal through. She clutches it to her chest, rocking on her heels.

"Mrs. Taplin. All we want to do is find your daughter's killer before he kills more innocent people. But we need your help." Spencer pleads.

Mrs. Taplin leaves the door and ambles away. Reid takes it as an invitation to enter and follows her into the shabby living room. Used Kleenexes litter the floor and the loveseat that Mrs. Taplin occupies. She gestures for them to sit on the long couch across from her.

Her voice is raspy, but calmer than before, "What's this about?"

Reid looks to JJ, but realizes that this is his lead, "It's about your daughter's diary. About what's written in it."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever read it?" Spencer inquires.

"No, she told me she needed her privacy, and I didn't question it. She was like any other teenage girl." Her grip on the book in her arms tightens before she asks the question, "Why? What is written in it?"

Reid bites his lip, and thankfully JJ pipes up, "We believe that your daughter was pregnant."

"What?" Mrs. Taplin's voice sounds weak, "That's not possible."

"Why not?" JJ questions, her voice soft.

"Because I would have known if my baby girl was pregnant. She would have told me." Mrs. Taplin insists.

"In her diary, she mentions that she could feel something moving around inside of her. That was about ten months before she was killed. There's one entry that she didn't date and ripped out. It's as if she didn't want anyone to know what day it was from. In that entry she talks about how she wishes she hadn't done it, but said that it was for the best." Reid explains.

"And you think all of that means that she was pregnant?" She gives him a skeptical glance.

"She also mentions that she hasn't had her period in months." JJ blurts.

Mrs. Taplin looks like she finally believes them, "Do you think I have a grandchild out there somewhere?"

"Maybe." JJ responds.

"You didn't notice her belly getting round or anything?" Reid says.

"No…I didn-" Her face seems to lighten, but becomes darker almost immediately after, "She was gone for a little more than eight months with Roy. They were traveling throughout the U.S." Mrs. Taplin covers her mouth with her hand. "You don't think that…?"

"I'm really sorry." JJ reaches her hand forward, grasping Mrs. Taplin's.

Her eyes glisten with tears and her chest begins to heave with the wave of tears crashing over her. When she finally seems all cried out, JJ promises that if her grandchild is still alive, they will find it.

They step outside of the house after handing her their card and expressing their condolences for her loss.

Reid calls up Garcia, "Hey Garcia. Can you look for any adoption paperwork under Marianne Taplin? We believe that she had a child."

Garcia cracks her fingers and begins to type on her keyboard. "There's nothing in her home state."

"Can you widen the search to statewide?"

"I can do that, but it's going to take some time."

"Okay, thanks Garcia." Reid disconnects.

….

** Evinns's House**

Mrs. Evinns answers the door and covers her mouth with her hand. Her voice is muffled, "Did you find them?"

"May we come in?" Hotch drops his gaze to the floor.

"Are they dead?" Tears fill her eyes and start to drip down her cheeks, rolling off her chin and hitting the ground.

"Who's there, Mary?" Her husband comes out of the kitchen.

Mary turns and shakes her head, collapsing into his arms. He cradles her, patting her back and whispering words of comfort. Words completely lost on Mrs. Evinns. She allows herself to be led away by her husband, who returns moments later.

"You're sure it's them."

"If we weren't, we wouldn't be here." Hotch murmurs.

"Can I-" His voice breaks, "Can I see them?"

Prentiss shakes her head, "We can't authorize that."

"They're my family. I should be allow-"

"Mr. Evinns. This isn't our decision. Their bodies are still being processed by our medical examiner." Hotch speaks up.

"Oh, so now you're processing them like you process meat?" Mr. Evinns advances on Hotch, who doesn't flinch.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Mr. Evinns. Let's take a walk. Okay?" Prentiss throws her arm around his shoulders and directs him into the kitchen.

"What do you think?" Rossi asks Hotchner.

He pulls Rossi aside before answering, "I think he's a dad, horrified and upset about what happened to his family."

"He blames us."

"I'd blame us too if I were in his position. Right now we need to focus and find this guy before he takes any more lives." Hotch turns on his heel, mind set on catching this psychopath.

….

** Metropolitan Police Station**

"We believe we are looking for a white male in his late twenties or early thirties. He is physically fit and drives a black car." Hotchner steps forward, addressing the assembly of police officers.

"He's sadistic. He doesn't get off on sexually assaulting his victims; instead he gets a rush from the physical beatings." Morgan folds his hands in his lap.

"A rush that he feels only when he beats and kills his victims. Meaning that he won't stop until he's caught." Reid presses his lips together.

"The way the beatings take place, with the victims restrained, and the letters he forces them to write suggest that he needs to feel powerful. In some aspect of his life he may feel powerless or unappreciated and he exerts that built up rage toward his victims." Prentiss walks around, waving her arms around.

"This could be in a workplace or within his own family." Rossi's mouth barely moves as he speaks.

"Wait, you think this guy could have a family?" One of the officers raises his hand.

"We do believe that it's a possibility." Hotchner nods.

"If there's a possibility that he has a family, then we need to find him before he kills his own family." The same officer stands up, ready to take action.

"I understand that you want to catch this guy, and that's what our profile's for, however we don't believe that his intention would be to kill his own family-if he had one."

"And why not? He's already killed two other families!" He points at Hotchner, his voice rising and finger shaking.

Will takes Hotch's silence as his cue to attend to his officer. He grabs his officer's shoulder and steers him away. The officer looks back at Hotchner over his other shoulder and sneers, "How would you feel if it was your family?"

Hotchner's eyes narrow at the officer, who raises his eyebrows as if daring Hotchner to respond. Before he can retort, the door slams shut behind the officers.

"This is a preliminary profile, so don't rule someone out because they don't fit all of the profile. If they fit most or even some, we should be informed immediately." Hotch finally says after a long awkward silence, during which they waited for Will's return.

"We think this man has a secondary location where he keeps his victims." Prentiss's eyes scan the crowd.

"The place we're looking for has a basement or a cellar where he keeps them. It's probably secluded or on the outskirts of town." Morgan points to the map, specifically around the edges of Reid's two circles, indicating the possible location.

"We also believe that he works a daytime job, is self-employed, or is unemployed due to the fact that he kidnaps and dumps at night." Reid adds.

"You should consider this man armed and highly dangerous. I advise officers to be extremely cautious and to travel in pairs. Thank you." Hotchner stands up, dismissing everyone.

The officers disperse, folding up their notepads, and stowing them in their pockets.

...

**The Basement**

The light that dangles from the ceiling flickers, creating shadows a few seconds at a time and then plunging the room into darkness.

Another couple is pushed roughly down the steep steps; the wife slips and lands in a heap at the bottom and the husband rushes to her side.

A man towers above them, a smile curling on his lips. The wife scrambles to her feet with help from her husband.

"Over there." His rough voice says. He points his gun to a chair that's barely visible in the darkened basement.

The wife walks carefully to the seat, following a trail on the ground. She doesn't realize what the trail is until seeing the red-speckled chair. Her mouth widens and her breath catches in her throat. Out of the corner of her eye she sees her husband walking the opposite way. The wife can hear her husband cooperating and being tied up.

A hand is placed delicately on her shoulder, before he shoves her into the chair. She yelps as her back hits the armrest, and whimpers the whole time he secures the wire around her wrists.

"Shut up!" He bangs his fist on the armrest of the chair, causing it to shake violently. His sudden shout only makes her whimper louder. The backhand blow to her face comes unexpectedly and she quiets down.

He pulls out an object and holds it under her noise. Through her blurred vision, she notices that it's a phone, more specifically her phone, and the contact that's pulled up is her mother.

"What do you want?" She meets his eyes.

"You should call her. Let her know that your dinner plans for tomorrow," The man stops, and pushes her hair behind her ear with his gun, before whispering, "are cancelled."


End file.
